Saturn Roof Rack

[Grumppy]

Howdy!
I am looking for a roof rack to carry a canoe, bicycles etc... on my ION3 4 door sedan.

Has anyone tried the Saturn roof rack the dealer sells?

Anyone have a roof rack?

Any comments?

or suggestions

Thanks in advance,
John

[bakerman]

Hi.....I just bought one from http://www.saturnaccessories.com easy to install and was by far the best price around.You pull down the door weather seal a bit and push in the clamps that hold the rack to your car.Then you slide the rack footings under the plastic pieces on top of the doors to line up with the clamps and you use straps that secure the rack with a rachet type system.You can leave these in place(the clamps) all of the time and remove the 4 rachet type straps and roof racks.It also came with locks to keep your rack secure.I checked alot of places online and the only other system i found was the Thule roof rack.It would have cost $229 US.This place was $139 US on their website.I bought mine on E-bay from them as it was a no box return but brand new otherwise.I hope this helps you out......Take care.........................Mike

[cyclingplatypus]

I've got a Thule system on mine, 400xt foot pack, lb50 load bars, and the 2139 fit kit. It only cost me $50 to fit to my 06 ION but then again I only had to buy the fit kit and bring everything else over from my old Saturn. Before buying the Saturn one I'd make sure it is upgradeable and able to grow with your needs, the Thule for example is capable of handling a box, bike carriers, kayak holder, etc, etc...I'm not sure if the Saturn one is.

[Grumppy]

A couple of more questions

How long are the cross-bars on the Saturn roof rack?

How high off the roof are the bars? (sunroof clearance?)

I wondered if "Saris" brand accessories fit the Saturn rack?

Thanks in Advance,
John

[lgodave]

I think the Saturn brand rack is virtually identical to a regular Saris rack.

[Grumppy]

ION3 sedan Roof Rack Update:
I ordered a roof rack over the internet from:
www.saturnparts.com.
It took a total of 7 days, from ordering to opening the boxes. :-)

Great place to deal with, a good website, great emails, fast shipping, and great prices.

Rack fits the ION nice and tight, it is lockable (comes with 2 keys) it is going to work out fine.

Roof rack part#22705383 $115.07
Canoe brackets part#21019464 $43.16
Shipping $33

Regards,
Grumppy

PS:My local dealer wanted $240.00 plus tax

[Grumppy]

Original Questions: A couple of more questions
How long are the cross-bars on the Saturn roof rack?
How high off the roof are the bars? (sunroof clearance?)

Answer 1. The crossbar measures about 40 inches long.

Answer 2. From the underside of the crossbars to the roof is about 3 1/2 inches.

Answer 3. yes, there is room for the sunroof to open.

Regards,
Grumppy

[shift]

Well I dont have a roof rack, but I have one that is made by THULE that sits on the rear trunk. Seems to work good.

[lgodave]

My concern and reason for not going with the much cheaper "Trunk mount" type Bike Racks is because of the Spoiler on my ION-3 and that the racks I looked at requested I connect the belt clips to METAL point on the Trunk Lid/Bumper... Since my Saturn is largely Plastic back there... I didn't want to deal with possible issues damaging my vehicle. I figure I can use the Roof Rack in future by adding other accessories allowing me to carry more then a Bike.